“Are you still living in that era? You still think there’s something wrong with that? You poor thing! I remember when we were ‘there’ too. But then we saw the light. We said: ‘Why are we living like this? This is bondage. We’re shackled Christians. Life is short. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Go with your heart. If Christ sets you free – you’re free. We’re walking in the Spirit and doesn’t it say somewhere in Galatians to dig in your heels against ever getting caught up again in yokes that restrict us. We aren’t to be all tied up in knots in slavery over what we can or can’t do in life.’”

Sound familiar?

The Apostle Paul did write the believers in Galatia about Christian liberty versus the shackles of the law. But be sure you’re comparing apples with apples – not apples with oranges. The issue back then was false teaching regarding the sufficiency of salvation by grace. Some were teaching that salvation by grace was insufficient – circumcision is required to complete the salvation. The Law requires all men to be circumcised if they’re going to be accepted by God. It wasn’t just for the Jews who lived in the BC era. It is relevant to all people of all times. That’s the message of the false teachers.

So be careful when you talk about Christian liberty. Make sure you know the context.

No Christian will find any support from the Epistle to the Galatians to live a care-free life where anything and everything goes – as long as we feel good about it and our conscience doesn’t bother us. That’s not ‘Christian liberty’ as Paul taught it. Paul did not issue special licenses to believers to live as they please.

The liberty a true Christian enjoys is the ability to please Christ – something we were never able to do when we were under the bondage of sin and the shackles of darkness. As slaves of sin we could only please ourselves and the elements of darkness. In that condition, there was absolutely no way we could bring any pleasure to Christ.

Salvation through faith alone in Jesus Christ brought us into glorious freedom. For the first time in our lives we were free to serve and please not ourselves but Christ! That’s called ‘being liberated.’ That’s what being free means.

Paul knew that some would try to redefine and misuse the concept of Christian liberty. That’s why he issued the caution:

Only, do NOT use your freedom
As an opportunity for the flesh,
But through love serve one another.”

Galatians 5:13

Or as Eugene Peterson paraphrased it in The Message:

“It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life.
Just make sure that you don’t use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do
And destroy your freedom.”

Some use the words ‘legalism’ and ‘legalistic’ as a smear word against Christians who have a tender conscience about offending the Lord or even an uninformed conscience about what the Scripture teaches. But sadly, so often Christian liberty and freedom has been misused and abused by those who are moving further away from their early closeness with Christ. They say: “We’ve been liberated. We’re not under bondage!” But rather than pleasing Christ and pleasing others, they are making choices that please themselves.

Paul taught just the opposite. Use your freedom to please Christ and to benefit others – not yourselves. No more selfish living in Christ. You’ve been freed from the bondage of selfish and sinful living.

Walk carefully and closely with the Lord today.

Warmly in Christ

Peter Ramsay

peter@heaven4sure.com

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